God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called
August 2023
Loran Tang, recruiter and training coordinator of Children Ministry
God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called
God blesses BAC with many new families in the past two years. In Children Ministry, we welcome new kids almost every month. With all programs expanding rapidly, we also need more teachers and helpers to support the growth. Our challenges wouldn’t be met if brothers and sisters, especially the parents who send their kids to us, still stay in their comfort zone.
What does it mean exactly when I say our challenges wouldn’t be met?
It means the burden of teaching is on one to two volunteers’ shoulders in preschool worship/ Sunday School; a huge range of Gr 1 to Gr 6 kids are grouped together for the same worship message in Combined Worship; small groups in Children Sunday School are cramped in a classroom with a ratio of one group leader to 18 to 20 kids!!
So, you see the needs but you’re unsure can you help?
As an immigrant from Hong Kong who started teaching the kids in English when I came to BAC decades ago, I have gone through challenges and struggles in my ministry journey and I know yours too. However, all I can say from my first hand experience is that “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called”
We are never professional enough to serve God, honestly. It is always a leap of faith when we come to serve. And, why can’t you trust God that He will empower you and make you able? If you do not step out, you would never experience Him. What a big miss in your spiritual lives when you stay in your comfort zone and refuse to experience His wonders!
Having said that, we appreciate the importance of a solid training to equip and empower teachers to teach. That’s why I design a training program for our Cantonese brothers and sisters.
The training program is designed for a small group with lots of interactions, ideas exchanges and opportunities to practice in a fun and relaxing setting. It has three main components:
- Resources
- provide resources such as English online bible, English audio bible (to address pronunciation fears), English commentaries, useful websites, relevant Podcasts, good books that equip you to teach, etc
- provide resources for biblical knowledge and personal spiritual growth
- Teaching
- skills that engage children: tones, stories, prop, drawing, activities and games, analogies, personal experiences sharing, videos, powerpoint, etc
- theme and lesson plan weaving: we will use certain bible stories or lessons to practice teaching
- sharp points and big ideas
- Connection
- arrange trainees to sit in worships and Sunday Schools and observe how different teachers teach
- arrange experienced teachers to walk through their teaching process so that they can learn how to do it
1 to 2 workshops will be organized to cover part 1: Resources and part 2: teaching. After workshops are done, I'll connect the "apprentice" (Elisha) with and so to learn from our experienced and skilled teachers (Elijah). I will also arrange some simple and easy settings for you to practice or start with.
I believe this is an excellent and exciting opportunity to learn and grow, no matter will you teach or not in the end.
Don’t ever think raising godly kids is someone else’s responsibility. In a wicked time like now, no one should wait to mold and teach our kids before it’s too late. If you want to join me to fight this spiritual battle, please connect with me now: loran.tang@bacfamily.org or leave your message in the comment box below.
Look forward to partnering with you!!